Marston’s wants punters to raise a glass, then take it home

Marston’s and The Royal British Legion have partnered to create brand new, poppy-themed glasses to raise vital funds for veterans during this year’s Poppy Appeal.

From 26th October, pint and half-pint glasses will be available to purchase from 1,175 Marston’s pubs across the UK, including 194 in the East Midlands. Pint glasses will cost £2.50 and half pint glasses will cost £2, with 100% of the profits going to The Royal British Legion. Glasses will be available to purchase empty, as well as with drinks to be enjoyed in pubs, before taking them home.

The poppy glasses are just one part of Marston’s month to remember, with pubs running awareness and fundraising events up and down the country, including everything from community breakfasts, to live music, to remember our veterans past and present. Traditional, pin-on poppies will also be available to purchase.

The Royal British Legion is the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, with over 180,000 members. Since 1921, the charity has been dedicated to supporting serving and ex-serving veterans, as well as the wider Armed Forces community including dependants and carers.

Each year, the Poppy Appeal is launched to raise funds for The Royal British Legion ahead of Remembrance Sunday, with donations being used to provide vital support to the community.

2023 saw a 35% increase in the number of households requesting assistance, which led to The Royal British Legion supporting 27,000 people and awarding more than £18 million worth of grants to individuals in need.

Marston’s is dedicated to supporting the veteran community, and in February 2024 re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant, symbolising a continued commitment to supporting veterans and their families through employment opportunities. Several Marston’s pubs are currently being ran or staffed by ex-serving veterans.

Jared Sedgwick, Director of Operations from Marston’s, said: “Brits have been known to take glasses home with them from the pub, but this time we’re encouraging it! We’re so proud to be working in partnership with The Royal British Legion to give our customers another way to raise awareness and crucial funds for veterans, who are such a large part of the Marson’s community. We want to welcome everyone to their local pub for what will be a month to remember, and join us in saying cheers to our heroes.”

Ben France, Head of Corporate Partnerships from The Royal British Legion, said "We're thrilled to be partnering with Marstons to support Poppy Appeal this year and beyond. The fundraising taking place across their network of pubs will help transform the lives of those in need across our Armed Forces community"

To find your nearest participating pub, visit: https://www.marstonspubs.co.uk/month-to-remember/